I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your sex life will definitely be different after you become a mom. I don't want to tell you that the honeymoon is over, but it's put on pause for a while. Finding the time for sex will be a challenge, and when you do find time, but you have to cross your fingers and hope you actually enjoy it. If you're worried about how you give birth will affect your sex life postpartum, you may have asked, "does a C-section change my orgasm?"
C-sections are becoming an increasingly more common means of giving birth. According to the CDC, C-sections represented 30 percent of deliveries in the United States in 2015. But does the procedure have an impact on the mother's sex life once she's back home with her baby?
Whether or not you were getting busy throughout your pregnancy, your sex life will be forced to take a pause immediately after giving birth. According to SELF, doctors typically recommend waiting six to eight weeks after your C-section to have sex again to give yourself time to heal. Changes in your hormones may also leave you with a decreased desire to have sex, according to Parents. You may even be turned off by the idea of sex.
The C-section procedure itself will not inhibit your ability to have an orgasm. However, the pain you experience during your recovery can make sex less pleasurable and make it more difficult to have an orgasm. According to Parenting, it can take up to six months for your incision to heal completely. Until you are healed, missionary or other positions which put pressure on your abdomen can be painful.
Parenting added that nursing moms may also experience vaginal dryness, which can also contribute to discomfort during sex and interfere with your ability to have an orgasm.
But there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Overall, moms who give birth via C-section tend to enjoy postpartum sex more than moms who have a vaginal birth. According to an article in Psychology Today, a 2005 Canadian study found that women who had vaginal deliveries experienced greater sexual dissatisfaction than those who gave birth via C-section. This is likely a result of weaker pelvic muscles that contract during orgasm.
As you work on reigniting your sex life, give yourself a break. Allow time for your incisions to heal. Don't be afraid to experiment with different positions, and use lubricants to help with vaginal dryness. In the end, you may be glad you did.
